Such a transporting device can be optimally adjusted to the loads to be transported, their dimensions and to the existing space conditions, whereby the possibility of a simple and quick change of the routing and a simple operability and high availability of the entire transporting device exists.
Transporting devices are known, in which the load is transported by a transport carriage which travels on a floor surface and said transport carriage is guided either through a guideway and a current collector line which is laid in the floor and is supplied with current thereby (for example German OS No. 19 53 940) or the transport carriage is guided with the aid of a guide wire which is laid in the floor and a suitable control mechanism on the carriage and the energy supply for the drive is secured through batteries which are stored in the transport carriage (for example German OS No. 23 44 435).
Also transport carriages are known, which are equipped with a vertically positioned, rigid guide rod, which can be coupled to and uncoupled from a circular conveyor which is installed overhead. Furthermore transport carriages are known, which are connected through a sloped steering rod to a tractor which is driven and travels overhead (for example German OS No. 24 25 726).
All of these transporting devices have the disadvantage that their direction of travel is controlled through a power-operated tongue, slide and turning switches or a guide wire embedded in the floor and other control mechanisms. The expense for providing the necessary adjusting devices, the control devices and the input for the electric connecting lines between the switches and the switch box is considerable. In the case of pneumatically operated adjusting devices, the air supply and the required air pressure must be assured additionally through a piping network. A change of the course of the track with a resulting shifting of the switches and their operating and control members and the electric connecting line is expensive and cannot be performed on short notice. A change of the track of transport carriages which are guided on the floor by a guide rail or guide wire is a complicated time-consuming measure, because the existing track must be opened up and after a new one has been properly placed again closed.
A further disadvantage is in the case of the transport carriage which is guided on the floor that the planning of the transporting device must be done prior to a finishing of the floor, so that all necessary recesses in the floor for the subsequent laying of the structural parts can be considered; changes in planning after the floor has been finished result in expensive chisel operations. Furthermore the covers are weakened in their carrying capability by the guide channel. During pouring operations, often the protective cover of the guide rail is damaged and thus same is contaminated on the inside. In order to prevent the guide rail from being deformed in the installed condition by the other floor traffic, same must either be constructed very strongly or the permissible wheel loads of the floor traffic must be limited.
During a breakdown of one of the building and control elements which are responsible for the travelling direction, the entire transporting device or at least a portion thereof is stopped until the interference or problem is corrected. In the case of transport carriages, which are guided by devices in the floor, during such breakdowns covers must be removed in order to permit access to the mechanical or electrical control devices. Thus floor travel is impossible during the time of the breakdown repair in this area, which in most cases results in high production losses. In order to keep the breakdown times as short as possible, such systems require high uses for servicing mechanisms like platforms, footbridges, ladders or pits. In addition a qualified maintenance person must at all times be present.
The basic purpose of the invention is to provide a variably usable transporting device, (1) which can be optimally designed depending on the weight and the dimensions of the load to be transported and the given space conditions, (2) in which the control devices are stored on the transport carriage unit, (3) in which because of the totally passive track the complicated control devices and their connecting lines are not needed and (4) in which installations in the floor are not at all needed. In such a transporting device, breakdowns can only occur on the transport carriage, which can easily be overcome by a simple removal of the carriage. The path of the track can be changed simply and quickly.
This purpose is attained according to the invention by providing a track carriage for a transport carriage unit having an adjusting mechanism which determines the changing or maintaining of the directions of travel, which can be adjusted by an adjusting mechanism which is secured on the track carriage or by a fixedly installed camm on the track which does not have any active adjusting elements, and by the transport carriage unit being supported on wheels engaging a floor surface and with the drive therefor occurring through a device wheel on the floor surface.
The advantages which are achieved with the invention consist particularly (1) in the straight stretches, horizontal turns or switches and crossings being able to be simple and without control devices and always the same in their design, (2) in breakdowns being able to be overcome quickly by a simple removal of the transport carriage units, by a maneuvering of the transport carriage unit travelling on the floor being possible in a narrow space with a steering unit which can be swivelled through 360.degree.. With this it is assured that the transport mechanism can be optimally designed with few components for a special transport task and can be quickly installed.